Michi-no-Eki Himi

Himi Banya-gai sits beside the fishing port that made Himi's name for winter yellowtail. The station opened in 2012 as the port's outside market, and its long, low buildings are modeled on banya, the huts where fishermen once stored gear and rested. Inside are fish stalls, souvenir shops, a food court and a conveyor-belt sushi restaurant.

What you find on the counters depends on the catch. Toyama Bay is known for kan-buri (winter yellowtail), white shrimp and firefly squid, each with its own season, so ask what came in that morning. Outside, a free foot bath faces the bay. On a cold, clear day you can soak your feet and look across the water at the snow on the Tateyama range.

Next door, Himi Onsen-kyo Sogyu is a separate paid day-spa that stays open into the evening. The market itself is busy at lunchtime on weekends, and some fish stalls close early once they sell out. Arrive in the morning if the fresh fish is the point of the trip.